General Electric Company

Eric John Bair

John David Weickert

Gregory Griffin

A system for monitoring performance parameters of an apparatus operating at an elevated temperature, such as a gas turbine engine. The system includes sensors for sensing the performance parameters and generating analog sensor outputs, at least one hub unit mounted sufficiently close to the apparatus so as to be subjected to a first temperature in excess of 125&#xb0; C., a collector unit subjected to a second temperature of less than the first temperature, and a distributor computer unit subjected to a third temperature of less than the second temperature. The hub unit has control and signal conditioning circuit boards that operate together to condition the analog sensor outputs of the sensors and produce corresponding digital data. The collector unit transmits the digital data from the hub unit to the distributor computer unit, which processes the digital data to assess the performance parameters of the apparatus.

High temperature electronic monitoring system

A hub unit adapted for use in a monitoring system that monitors engine performance parameters of a gas turbine engine. The hub unit includes a housing, at least one signal conditioning circuit board within the housing and adapted to receive the analog sensor outputs from the sensors, and a control circuit board within the housing, connected to the signal conditioning circuit board, and adapted to produce digital data corresponding to analog sensor outputs. The control circuit board and the signal conditioning circuit board each comprise electrical circuit components that define an analog signal processing path and have accuracy and precision characteristics that drift in response to component aging and to changes in the temperature to which the hub unit is subjected. The hub unit performs a continuous calibration scheme to determine and remove errors in the analog signal processing path resulting from the drifts of the electrical circuit components.

Hub unit for a high temperature electronic monitoring system

A hub unit adapted for use in a monitoring system that monitors engine performance parameters of a gas turbine engine. The hub unit includes a housing, at least one signal conditioning circuit board within the housing and adapted to receive the analog sensor outputs from the sensors, and a control circuit board within the housing, connected to the signal conditioning circuit board, and adapted to produce digital data corresponding to analog sensor outputs. The signal conditioning circuit board multiplexes a plurality of the analog sensor outputs generated by the sensors to produce an individual multiplexed analog output, and has at least one amplifier with adjustable gain for scaling the analog sensor outputs of the individual multiplexed analog output to produce an individual conditioned multiplexed analog output from which the corresponding digital data are produced. The amplifier and the adjustable gain thereof are controlled by the control circuit board.

A method of monitoring engine performance parameters of a gas turbine engine during its operation. The method includes sensing the performance parameters and generating analog sensor outputs, producing digital data by conditioning the analog sensor outputs with at least one hub unit that is mounted sufficiently close to the engine to be subjected to a first temperature in excess of 125&#xb0; C., receiving the digital data from the hub unit with a collector unit subjected to a second temperature of less than the first temperature, receiving the digital data from the collector unit with a distributor computer unit subjected to a third temperature of less than the second temperature, and processing the digital data with the distributor computer unit to assess the engine performance parameters of the engine. The conditioning step is performed with a control circuit board and at least one signal conditioning circuit board within the hub unit.

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West Chester, OH, United States of America

Eric John Bair